Of course I have other lenses for different occasions. But the camera body and lens mentioned above are my primary pieces for in studio work.

As far as lighting goes, I prefer to shoot with studio lighting as opposed to natural light as it is more easily manipulated. I can get the look I desire just by adjusting a few settings on my camera and my lights. (Always in Manual mode on the camera).

I also use seamless backdrops in the studio of either white or black depending on the coat color of the animal I am shooting. Savage is the brand I use for my backdrops. (Savage Seamless Background Paper, 53" wide x 12 yards, Super White, 1) . The seamless does not become the final backdrop in the shot of course. It simply makes masking and editing a digital backdrop much simpler in Photoshop.